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Anti-terrorism operations have been running at a visibly high level in recent weeks.

The crackdown follows the Westminster attack by Khalid Masood, 52, in which five people were murdered, the arrest of a man armed with knives in Whitehall and the raid on a suspected London terror cell.

Before the recent spate of incidents, police anti-terrorism activity was already high, with 260 arrests in 2016 and 183 people in prison for terrorism offences at the turn of the year.

More than 19,000 people were subjected to anti-terrorism security checks at ports and airports during 2016.

MI5 has said that 850 people have travelled from Britain to the conflict zone in Syria.

Between 10-15 per cent have been killed and less than half have returned.

MI5 believes that there are currently 3,000 violent Islamist extremists in Britain.

AP:Associated Press

A brigade of ISIS fighters marching in Raqqa, Syria

British man killed in Syria who travelled to fight ISIS with Kurd militia

Andy Hayman, head of specialist ops at Scotland Yard during the 7/7 attacks, said the number of potential suspects was “shocking”.

He added: “I recall the number of people we had to keep under 24/7 watch in the wake of the 2005 attacks — it was far, far smaller than this yet the drain on our resources was huge.

Security expert Professor Tahir Abbas from the Royal United Services Institute told Sky News: "The police and security services are certainly preparing for all eventualities, because in Britain, we've had our lessons from the past.

"These returning fighters pose a number of threats in relation to security here.

"They've been through a lot of very traumatic conflict and engagement, often involved in street-to-street fighting.

"Now, having made their way back to Britain, they pose a particular threat because of their capacity - and perhaps they've been instructed to return, hold fire and wait for the go ahead to launch attacks.

"They are likely to be traumatised, but also extremely experienced and well trained individuals who pose a serious risk."

THOSE JAILED ON THEIR RETURN FROM SYRIA

Tarik Hassane (pictured), 23, from London, travelled to Syria in 2013. He was jailed for life in 2014 for plotting to carry out a drive-by shooting targeting a police officer

Mashudur Choudhury, 34, from Portsmouth, was the first person to be convicted after returning from the conflict zone.

Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Nahin Ahmed, both 25, from Birmingham, were jailed in July 2014. A judge said they were “deeply committed to violent extremism”

Imran Khawaja, 29, from London, was jailed for 12 years in 2015. He had faked his death in an attempt to return undetected from Syria

Erol Incedal, 29, from London, was arrested in October 2013 and later convicted of possessing a bomb-making manual. He was believed to have travelled to Syria

Mohammed Uddin, 30, from east London, was jailed in 2016 for seven years after admitting going to Syria to fight for Isis

Tareena Shakil, 27, from Birmingham, was jailed last year after taking her toddler son to live in Islamic State controlled territory